Why we’re fatter than in the 1950s - Warren Nash

We’re in the midst of an obesity crisis, despite being obsessed with diet & clean eating. In the 1950's people were significantly thinner, whilst being less conscious about what they were eating.
In this mini documentary I explore the differences in calorie intake and expenditure between the 1950s vs today. Is it just about having a more sedentary lifestyle and are we burning the same amount of calories as the slimmer population 50 years ago?
Either way, it’s obvious our lifestyles have changed and we’re more overweight than ever before. Learn about some of the key factors affecting our diet and lifestyle today. What is the trump factor?
Thank you to Nutracheck for supporting this video. Download their calorie counter app and get 20% off using promo code 1950 when you subscribe here: goo.gl/qJnX1k
Also, a massive thank you to all who provided content for this video under the Creative Commons licence. See all references to visuals and articles featured in this educational video here: goo.gl/8c5Fdg
Become a Patron of my channel: / warrennash
Remember to subscribe to my Tastemade channel for more recipes, cooking guides, vlogs and collaborations from my kitchen in the UK: kzbin.info_c...

[@Laura_B__]

Not mentioned but also important is the fact that much of the processed, sugary food we eat these days is so lacking in nutrition that it actually makes us feel hungrier because our bodies are in fact malnourished. People in the 1950s ate "real" food for the most part as processed food was still new and "junk food" was rare, so they would have felt more satisfied with eating less.

[@WarrenNash]

Great point. Probably also explains why manufacturers feel they need to fortify cereals nowadays too.

[@beatrixblitzer747]

Laura B that’s true. Coke wasn’t something you consumed in liters. It was less than two cups and not often.

[@annamida685]

Laura B Yes! Exactly! One of the reasons I use butter rather than margarine or another substitute.

[@shellpen7866]

Laura B yes for sure. Now we have to try even harder than they would of, to lose weight or at least keep it off

[@shellpen7866]

Laura B and not to mention that less nutrition missing from our vegetables and fruit, gives us less energy to do more exercise. And for some people, because the nutrients is missing they develop illnesses that make it harder for them. Like I know many people that are so much more tireder because of chronic fatigue, and other issues. Our veg and fruit are also sprayed which won’t help, and all the medications that can ruin people’s bodies. Many people have a much harder time losing weight because of meds! It screws up your hormones. And then people have to fork out $100s of dollars to buy supplements to cover for the nutrients missing from our food! And healthy food is so expensive! I could go on and on 😔

[@richardbeckmann6720]

I was born in 1935. Food now is yummier than what we had in the 50s. My mother served plain beef liver fried in Crisco seasoned with salt and pepper; no one asked for seconds!

[@saj1313]

How u stil alive fam

[@emily.7668]

@@saj1313 wdym! That was not 1000 years ago

[@wonderwillows0955]

Funny cause my Mom LOADS our meats with seasoning. My family loves it but I prefer just some Goya Adobo and pepper on my meat.

[@ametrineambrosia4929]

EW.

[@aprillynn5993]

Well no wonder y'all were so thin, the meals no a days are so to large for just one sitting.

[@Mr05Chuck]

Just think...I could have gone for a walk instead of watching this.

[@anthonyfox585]

Mr05chuck or walk while watching this

[@Mr05Chuck]

Anthony Fox not coordinated enough. Plus bad for posture.

[@anthonyfox585]

Mr05chuck oh fair enough it does give me neck pain lol

[@firedazzerintern2260]

Lol

[@peggysullivan5396]

Mr05chuck lol

[@stevend.bennett427]

One Starbucks Frappacino Caramel Latte contains as many calories as one person's whole day in 1950.

[@bruhidk3069]

Steven D. Bennett has how many calories ?

[@anthonyfox585]

ally idk lol only like 500 calories for a large or as they call it a "venti" I just looked it up

[@lilyvampwolf]

That's a great point actually. Thank you for that reminder!!

[@TwinBleaks]

This actually makes no sense, frapps are frozen drinks, lattes are hot. So which is it, Steve, a caramel frapp or a caramel latte?! Lol

[@rose-blossoms]

lol not true. thats like 600 calories

[@onceuponablink7666]

The sad thing is I’m a person who is a size 2 to 4 and people tell me I should eat more when I am perfectly healthy people think that what we have today is healthy but it really isn’t

[@patriciabilinkas3911]

Once Upon A Blink I had the same issue growing up, but the metabolism slows down as we age, and I’d give anything to be your size again. It’s sad you have negative people telling you nasty stuff about your weight that you simply cannot change for now. I say to you enjoy it while it lasts. The morons telling you you’re too thin are jealous, and once you do add the pounds naturally, they will be obese messes.😀

[@elisabeth4912]

I can relate. I totally agree that eating disorders (which people always seem to bring up at my healthy size 2) are a big issue, but so is obesity and you shouldn't be afraid of fighting against one of the issues, jsut because the other one's there too.

[@annabelgrace1267]

I am 170 cm tall. Your size would be too thin for me.

[@elisabeth4912]

@@annabelgrace1267 Not necessary. I am about your hight and a size 2, yet I eat healthily and according to my doctor I am at a weight befitting my height, metabolism and lifestyle. Generally I believe that you shouldn't talk about absolutes in health and in doubt visit a health practitoner.

[@robodancer1266]

Same right now people tell me I'm thin but I'm healthy and they think being bigger boned is healthy.

[@juliekauran3589]

They only had 600 products in a supermarket and people had gardens to keep. No fast food. Went for walks in all weather. Had set food times. Ate their traditional food according to culture.

[@zapperbunny1]

Julie Kauran When I was a kid snack cakes were cupcakes and twinkies...that’s it, candy machines had oh Henry, payday, by Ruth, Hershey’s with and without almonds and planters peanuts. The only potato chips were plain and BBQ

[@LisaCupcake]

No, not everyone had a garden. My parents never did after they were adults (reaching adulthood in the 40s) and they weren't fat. It has nothing to do with how many options you have in the store. It has to do with how much you eat and how much you move.

[@juliekauran3589]

Well is not that the point Lisa, gardens work is equivalent to movement of body , good exercise and less bad processed food options is equal to eat to live which is the some as a good balanced diet.@@LisaCupcake

[@shieh.4743]

this exactly

[@PinkleWinkle026]

There was fast food back then

[@jgiza8888]

I was a kid in the late 60s and 70s in southern California... We had a big Italian family, mostly Mom cooked simple dishes, pasta and meatballs and chicken parmigiana . I also remember lots of stews. However, maybe once every three months, Mom told Dad to get us McDonalds as she wanted a break from all the cooking We were THRILLED... :) We also played outside most days. All 13 kids were THIN. Those were great times!

[@dalecoughlin5124]

What a great it was

[@janruneorkas3571]

Also, the McDonald's was of better quality at that time, fries fried in tallow etc

[@llamasugar5478]

We kids had to go out because our ahead-of-the-times tiny house didn’t have room for us to play. Most of us didn’t have bikes, so if we wanted to go fast we had to run. The one “fat” kid on our block would’ve been “average” today, judging by what I see in the schools.

[@seanlander9321]

Plenty of Italians came to Australia after the war, they were almost always stunted, and very often rotund due to poor nutrition.

[@jgiza8888]

what you talkin about Willis? Italians in Europe in WW2 were rotund? B.S.@@seanlander9321

[@kofiofosu9051]

Interesting that people are less happy now than in the 1950s

[@kevinbrislawn5918]

it's due to congressional idiots on the left who dictate what you do and believe..just listen to your H.R.admins at your job..it's all political left Maoist control tactics .

[@elijahbutterfield4869]

@@kevinbrislawn5918 Well. People were happier then because the nuclear family hadn't been undermined. Today, it's all but eroded.

[@ashleygibson2342]

K B Nah babes. It’s technology that’s causing depression. Not politics.

[@elijahbutterfield4869]

@@ashleygibson2342 If you havent noticed, babe, Technology has always been pushed by one party. Its more or less controlled by one party in politics, seeing as silicone valley is full of... leftists. Ooo. Why do you think conservatives are being censored so much. Technology has always been controlled and pushed by the left. It IS political. It goes hand in hand.

[@ashleygibson2342]

Elijah Butterfield Technology has developed separately from politics. If the two developed together we’d have online regulations and laws, instead of the cluster fuck we have now. Good idea though!

[@jeanbean1390]

Added sugar and high fructose corn syrup in everything.

[@kevinmontgomery1383]

You said a mothfull!

[@CarolAnnNapolitano]

More home cooked meals, I read the labels, and then get turned off, works every time.

[@toreshammerecelt861]

Jean Bean Correct. And it all started with corn subsidies in 1974 with Nixon’s Ag Secretary.

[@DJUniMekaju]

Among inorganic additives where the body doesn't know how to deal with it aside from storing it as fat and not knowing how to break it apart as energy.

[@voluntaryismistheanswer]

It's all sugar, all of it.

[@prairieflower427]

Food portions were smaller too. Now everything is super sized. Look on packages and see what the proper servings size is. Like 3 cookies and a half a cup of ice cream, not BOWLS full. We eat TOO much now.

[@littlemom2070]

Bee Zim - So true. American here - back in the 60's as a kid, I remember getting a Coke at the movie theatre - it was something like 6 to 8 ounces. The popcorn was in a tiny little bag and no artificial butter smothered on top.

[@drewmatt3310]

Super sized or so small that you binge on something unhealthy just to not be hangry

[@Xxsorafan]

True. Restaurants I go to make such large servings.

[@Geneiveve]

Bea Zim We eat more because of the stress. Life is much more stressful today.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

Little Mom Pasadena, I was just thinking about the size of Cokes. At Woolworth's or the drug store, I can remember the 8-oz. glasses that cost a dime back in the 50s.

[@susanvotroubek7440]

When I was in school in the 60's I remember there was usually only one over weight girl or boy in our class. It was considered puzzling. Everyone else was not incredibly skinny, but just a normal weigh. We walked every where and only came inside when it was dinner time. We were outside a lot! I work in a shop in the mid-west and being extremely over weight is now the norm, not the exception.

[@thephilosopher5799]

Yeah you can definitely see it in pictures and old sitcoms, it was common practice to make your kids go play outside with other neighborhood kids. Women moved around working/doing housework, more men worked more outside/physical jobs.

[@ursulasmith6402]

Most likely, they were diabetic. Wasn't discovered until 1964. So, no one knew.

[@alicelowell7549]

How about home-cooked (1950s) vs. factory-processed (today)?!

[@librascales4767]

acrobatsutr Don't know where you live, but in my area if often takes two incomes to make it. Not everyone can get a spouse with a high enough salary to support the family. Rent, mortgages, insurance etc is getting so expensive in a lot of areas of the United States. Some families require two salaries but that doesn't mean we neglect our families and homes. In fact, I think I do more than the average housewife because I do cook 80% of our meals, take our children to their games, practices and other activities, and do the bulk of household chores whilst working a 40hour week. And I'm not obese either 😂

[@librascales4767]

Alice Lowell I agree. People ate less factory processed stuff loaded with sugars and calories. Also portions were smaller and people were used to eating less per meal.

[@librascales4767]

acrobatsutr You assume two parent working families live above their means. Many do not. There are unfortunately lower skilled workers that do not get paid enough to live on one income (without some government aid) no matter how much they cut back. Sometimes your wife may need to work, especially if one wants to get additional training or education to improve career options. And what does feminism have to do with this? Women were working well before "feminism". I'm not an overprivileged white Bitch. My people have always worked so my mother and foremothers worked on sharecropping farms and later in the service industry, just like their husbands did. The difference was they ALSO cooked and cleaned for their own families too.

[@librascales4767]

acrobatsutr Oh ok. Sorry I misunderstood you.

[@alexjames2510]

Libra Scales If you work 40 hours a week why do you do the bulk of the housework? Shouldnt your husband be doing 50% since he is not a sole provider

[@spartaeus]

Sedentary people tend to sit and eat out of boredom. When you keep busy, you eat less!

[@daniella8400]

Spartaeus very true...

[@pennypay1]

Yes. I read books and I Internet browse a lot, usually while nibbling. It's such a bad habit because I'm barely aware of the sensations and I soon crave additional food. I overeat at parties because I'm shy and I hate making small talk, but the paranoia about looking unoccupied prompts me to load up my plate. Some people overeat when they're sad or keyed up, but those states always shut down my appetite.

[@spartaeus]

@@pennypay1 I use to do the same thing. I'm also shy and not very good at small talk. I think it's a gift that some people have, they seem to be able to talk endlessly. I've known a few that can also talk and eat endlessly at the same time. It's the world we live in today. Eating is something we learned do as a social activity. And most foods today are junk food or fast food. In the old days people spent lots of time shopping for, preparing and cooking food, which gave them a lot less time to eat, and lots more time burning off calories. If I'm bored, I go outside and find something to do. If it's raining I find a closet to clean out. I think that's why peoples houses use to be so tidy and clean when I was a kid. It all takes a readjustment of our lifestyle. I think the more physical we become, the better we feel. I just wish I could find more people who like to get together to do active things. I think we're happier and more relaxed when we are physically doing things with people.

[@thereisnosalvationoutsidet3246]

We moved around a lot more back in the day

[@commentfreely5443]

i'm mostly sedentary. i hardly eat. but i do a few hours a week hard exercise. people eat too much shit.

[@dinahsoar6982]

Back in my day you did not snack between meals. And meal portions were small compared to nowadays. And we were not told we must eat breakfast either. Farmers did; but I never ate until I got hungry so I broke the fast when I ate my lunch. Soda's, which were rare were 6 ounces. Dessert was rare too; only served when we had company or it was a birthday or holiday. And we moved more. I had to walk 3 miles to school both ways. And we had a hand fed wringer on our washing machine, AND the clothes had to be hung outside on the line b/c we did not have a dryer. And TV was limited too. As a kid I was told to go outside and play.

[@outbackeddie]

We must be close to the same age. I remember things pretty much the same as you. I wasn't sure if Coke bottles were 6 ounces or 8 but they certainly were much smaller than the portions served today.

[@mirabellaolson6410]

@@outbackeddie most were 8 - 12 oz.

[@michaelroachface926]

Today there are a lot of "all you can eat" joints that actually encourage overeating. I think they had super size pop at 16oz. Back then , but even so , people were much more active and diabetes wasn't at epidemic levels then like today.

[@carltonpoindexter2034]

I also remember that one ate out only on special occasions and they were usually at Mom and Pop local restaurants. We would have pizza twice a year, from a local Italian restaurant and Chinese twice a year and that made it memorable. Playing out doors was the norm and some times in winter our parents would shout for us to come inside because we were turning blue from the cold. Years later I talked to a Romanian coworker about our childhoods. Their village had an abandoned castle that they played in. I had the nearby railroad tracks and jump off a backyard bridge into one of the loaded coal cars and ride four miles to Lake Erie where the coal was loaded onto freighters and shipped to Canada. I would walk back home with friends and made friends with a few of the railroad men. On the way back we often see racoons, rabbits, possums and the occasional dog chasing frogs. There was no boredom. No inactivity accept from dinner time on.

[@mirabellaolson6410]

@@carltonpoindexter2034 we went to drive thru restaurants called Curran's, Porky's, Root beer stands, and ones that had antique cars coming thru, and people would drag down Lake St. I had a 1964 Ford Fairlaine and I beat out a souped up Dodge I think. I was one if the few women that dared drag, and they wanted a rematch, but I said No!

[@elijahbutterfield4869]

Is it just me, or did the 50s seem like a simpler and better time? Better music too.

[@ShyGuy83]

Elijah Butterfield Yeah, too bad for that pesky little segregation thing.

[@elijahbutterfield4869]

@@ShyGuy83 yeah. That sucked. Idk why they did that.

[@ahc8973]

Racism though....

[@thetiredworm2100]

Elijah Butterfield well every time had it’s good and bad, I love that time to but I also enjoy things from this time as well.

[@elijahbutterfield4869]

@@thetiredworm2100 yeah. Equality and no polio is nice. Also sport bikes. That's nice too

[@ultimatesin3544]

This doesn't hold up when you consider in the 80s people were thin too, and we all had cars, washers, television, lots of junkfood etc. Society started getting noticeably fatter in the 90s for some reason. I think there maybe some unknown additive or chemical in our food that causes hormonal imbalance because most people are on antidepressants as well.

[@mysticanna5545]

I no longer take antidepressants bc it made me get hungry and made me gain weight now after child birth im working my ass off to drop 30 pounds

[@blueshinobi8665]

Two words fast food

[@Helaw0lf]

There is some shady endgame at play here.

[@LauraBeeDannon]

Sugar is poison.

[@lix0347]

It’s the lifestyle. In the 1980s the internet wasn’t around yet. If you wanted to socialize you had to go and do it. By the late 1990s computers were more common so you only had to leave the house to get food and work. Today you don’t even have to leave your house to work or get out your car to get food. Unless you’re a student in school walking between classes or don’t have a car you’re prob not walking more than 30 mins max. People spend a lot of time laying down on their bed or sitting in a chair today than ever before.

[@check1mate1]

I purposely set up my life so that things aren't too easy. Modern convenience just makes you soft, physically AND mentally.

[@daddyrabbit835]

Same here, I heat my house with wood in the winter and usually cut, haul, and stack 9 months a year.

[@number62]

I don't even own a cell phone. Only my little tablet.

[@sonofawwiivet1626]

True, that's what the powers that be wanted, and they wanted to take away our defences. Only the strong survive!

[@ashleygibson2342]

erictheBaptist Same here! People constantly ask me why I do certain things in such a way. I typically say “Otherwise it’s too much luxury.”

[@RunninUpThatHillh]

We do everything we can by hand too. My hands are strong! Not as strong as my forebears I bet. I've never cut wood, hats off to that task! I'd watch my husband do it though.😂

[@eisenjeisen6262]

When i was a teenager i lifted weights and put muscle on my body and did many other exercise and watched what i ate and took pretty good care of myself, and today i'm 86 and drive a car for pleasure and do most of my walking in the malls as Florida gets to hot to walk in the streets.

[@pamelag7553]

@eisen...good for you!! :)

[@raiwserkoopa2221]

Wait, 86?

[@shay2396]

Nikolai Belinski - Raiden you heard him.

[@raiwserkoopa2221]

@@shay2396 a bit unexpected that a 86 year old has a youtube account

[@OneUponADime]

That's excellent!

[@englishcountrylife3805]

I lived through through all this history. It’s definitely the change of diet to fast food, cheap restaurants and junk food.Potatoes, cabbage, carrots, rice pudding or cake and custard. Fizzy drinks and chocolate was a treat. Poverty was different the. Poor people were thin now they are fat. Poor people are usually still in manual work. I don’t do complication. I just eat fresh, that’s my advise, eat fresh.

[@jaytee2642]

I'm shocked that only 15% of the population had a refrigerator!😮

[@geovani8028]

Jay Tee we had ice boxes. Ice wascdelivered wekly. It was a pain.

[@justynjonn]

Maybe this is just in England U.K. I think almost all Americans had television , a refrigerator and 1 family car.

[@roman.ia.empire]

@@justynjonn in Canada apparently they barely had fridges as well, my Grandma thought that it was funny that in the village in Yugoslavia everyone had fridges, yet in one of North America’s largest cities (Toronto) everyone still used ice boxes.

[@rymacreeks2k07]

The UK was practically knocked back to the third world temporarily after the war, statistics in the US, Canada etc would have been way higher

[@Jimmy911ism]

@@roman.ia.empire I would have thought to keep food cool in Canada, that you just put it in the cupboard.

[@pinkfreud62]

I grew up in the 70's and we were still slimmer than today. I remember going to teen discos and everyone was slim and it was not noticed coz it was the norm. Sure, we had a few heavies, but they were the exception and far from the rule. Now, if you go to a club (or anywhere) all you see are people twice as big. And the thin person is the exception.

[@kekef3620]

I was a child in the 90s and even then there wasn't a lot of fat kids/ youth. There was typically 1 kid in a class..that's it. We had birthday parties at McDonalds and Pizza hut reading program. Big difference was video games weren't as advanced and we played on boring/ rainy days but we still played outside for hours. I remember as a teen hearing someone being 200+lbs was shocking. Being 300lbs then was like what 600lb is today. Unheard of.

[@lgbaybaysalesladayy]

Femme Fatale I concur!

[@Demi.d3mi]

Sooo true. I look back on pictures from the 70's of my dad and people he knew and everyone (like teens and people in early 20's) were sooo beautiful and slim, even the bigger people!!! They dont even look real lol. Everyone now has a lot of fat, even the slim people

[@vickieoglesby3257]

pinkfreud62 it what they put in our food..even the vegetables.

[@katmontgomery7380]

I agree! Obesity was not the norm when I was in HS. As we grew older & became more inactive our metabolism slowed down, yet continued to eat like we did as teens. No wonder! Yes, I think all the processed foods, fast foods became the norm. You had to make an effort to eat home cooked meals. I grew up as the "dishwasher" in our house. Lol 😂 The horror! My grandkids asked if we had TV in the "olden days"? lol! 🤔 Glad they love to play outdoors.

[@CryStealHeart]

There wasn't so much chemicals additives and fillers in food in the 1950s. Which could biologically activate thirst and hunger.

[@johnyoung468]

Crystal Diamond Reborns High Frutose Corn Syrup is the main culpert in food,soft drinks etc. They started putting it in food in the early to mid 90's & that is when people started ballooning . Also a lack of exercise ! When I was growing up in the 50's , we drank soda pop,but,it had real sugar in it.We were all skinny. we started gaining weight when they added the High Frutose Corn Syrup to soda and everything else. P.S. We played outside all day when i was a kid. Played in the woods,rode our bicycles,etc. lol

[@Afmedic85]

It's not about chemicals, people are just more sedentary.

[@carolnorton2551]

@@Afmedic85 A lot of it is really the high fructose corn syrup. Humans cannot burn fructose directly as energy, it must be stored as fat and then can be turned into glycogen in the liver to be converted to energy. Hummingbirds can burn it directly, not humans.

[@catholicdad]

This is THE major contributing factor IMO, not less energy expenditure

[@michaelroachface926]

Junk dumped in our food keeps everyone fat

[@julies3837]

Even in the 90’s I remember there being more kids (me included) playing outdoors. I would ask to go to the playground a lot. I would consider what neighborhood kids might be out to play with.

[@valfletcher9285]

I rarely see any kid outdoors in my neighborhood or in anyones anymore. Used to be dozens of us out doing all kinds of activities and in summer we stayed out literally "until the street lights came on".

[@JESUSLOVESYOU219]

I think my generation (born just before 21st century 1999) were the last kids to play outside.

[@boneTHUGS111]

i grew up in the 80s/90's we played football (soccer) daily in the park, 8 a side often. I lived in a small village but every kid in that village was in that park playing pretty much daily, two yrs ago just as lockdowns started happening i moved back to that village i grew up in, the park is still there with the football pitch, tennis courts etc but there is no kids in sight. Kids today memorys of being a kid will be..you remember that one time on xbox..

[@rymacreeks2k07]

@@JESUSLOVESYOU219 umm...no? We still go outside, believe it or not

[@danicegewiss862]

I was my dad's remote control for the TV when I was a kid. I remember going to the butcher shop with my mom in the 1970's.

[@nobuddy2012]

Four words. High fructose corn syrup.

[@fredrutledge3628]

No Buddy A very evil development.

[@fancysfolly554]

Really? Do u think that’s the cause?

[@fredrutledge3628]

No Buddy Yes the food industry is diabolical.

[@earthwarrior2549]

Agreed. It’s added to so much. Even meat. Why is HFCS in meat? It’s really a gross substance.

[@annapaulikonis2433]

Two words: Fast Fod.

[@randomuploadsism]

main reason: Portions were smaller. And people drank water.

[@violetgirl1996]

randomuploadsism i think perhaps the water part is the key secret. Cause i eat shit tonnes and im always slim, even when i gain weight. But i always drink water or tea. Perhaps that really is a key aspect after all hhh

[@majamystic256]

i like water, it tastes nice

[@earthpet]

randomuploadsism--No. Five gallon buckets of food cannot make a person fat unless the food is palatable enough to eat. So food has to be highly palatable and extremely convenient in order to lead to obesity...and it is. Drinking water does not make fat people thin. Withholding water does not make thin people fat. Illogical and false.

[@ElementEvilTeam]

People drank water instead of coke back then.

[@TheJadedJames]

Yeah, there is a deceptively high amount of sugar in a lot of drinks these days. Even fruit juice can be as bad for you as soda.

[@NANA-su5ql]

If I had to propose a more fair theory, I think it's just the perfect storm because nobody is ever educated on nutrition, exercise, and general health. My health classes only talked about STD's and smoking, my gym classes were unengaging and led to shaming, and home ec classes are no longer required or available. And we messed up by letting unqualified people teach us "health", as now our beliefs on health are very extreme and ineffective. Like cleaning your house is most likely a better workout than the gym, and nobody needs to kill every carb in their diet and only eat kale and turmeric to be thin. Just move around more, and stop listening to fitness influencers trying to get you to buy laxative teas.

[@JP-ve7or]

That's interesting. When I was in grade school in the 80s, we did have a few lectures about healthy eating, and charts and handouts to take home. But we'd only shun the local candy store for a day or two and then it was business as usual, unfortunately.

[@kaylajames3098]

Amen.

[@anonymouspost9144]

The more high tech we become, the more lazy and sedentary we become.

[@Lyca31]

That's pretty close to what I've always been saying. I'm small, around 115 pounds but I eat a ton. All my friends are always asking me where I put everything as I don't go to the gym like them, but I'm actually really active. I don't drive so I walk or cycle everywhere. My cycle to work in almost 4 miles. Also I work as a swimming instructor and a lifeguard and have to swim a lot for training. I'm moving on my feet or moving in the water 100% of my time at work. And ironically a few years ago a doctor told me I had a slightly slow metabolism. (I have other specific health problems but just work through them) but in short, yeah, calories in, calories out.

[@Bhilithinn]

I hear you :). I'm a bit bigger than you, but not by much. I eat as much as I want whenever I want....but I consume little to no sugar for health reasons. Except fruit - I can have as much fruit as I want :). I'm not super active, but I live in a city so I walk everywhere. I also have to cook all my meals from scratch and I don't have a dishwasher...so I figure that's extra calories burned too.

[@heyitsshai2010]

I'm quite small and I tend to eat a lot... probably more than I should lol (depending on the day and where I am and whether I'm sick or not) I'm sure most of it is genetics because I really only walk across the street and my school a couple times a day but I also do musical theatre and the dancing can count as some excersising. Also, I'm short so cooking actually becomes a workout so I can reach supplies

[@raesmith2164]

Lyca31 Lol. I'm 120 lbs, but I eat a lot like you. I don't excersise though.

[@mattgrosskop2510]

So true!

[@TypeOneg]

I used tone able to eat whatever I want til I turned 45.

[@chloegilbert647]

When I was a child, it was a rare treat to go to McDonalds and back then a small hamburger, small free, and small drink was considered a meal. Maybe a man would get two burgers. Compare that to now where the amount of food ordered is at least four times this amount. We eat far too many calories.

[@jsmith258]

Same exprience here when I was young. That McDonalds food trio was called the All American Meal in the US

[@BroccoliBeefed]

Same here. I was lucky enough to have parents that could cook wonderful balanced meals. None of us as kids, shunned vegetables, which is probably the only reason all of us are still slender today

[@richardyoung4616]

I've never tried the small free, must be special.

@@richardyoung4616 what does it cost ?

[@nogoglobal]

True.ice cream was a treat..candy on holidays.and how we enjoyed getting store bought candy. After school snacks was finding a fruit tree...We could also collect some cents off coupons and take them to the grocer for a penny or two.. Fast food has ruined our young ppl health.

[@nwatson2773]

I was born in the 80s but I think community is what we’re lacking. I find that the younger generations are more in touch with their cell phones, video games and everything on the Internet, including social media. The food nowadays is a lot more processed. We eat a lot of our meals alone even if we live in a single family household. If you go out to eat you get extremely large portions that would be enough to serve two people at least. Our society is just sad, depressed, and overworked, and underpaid. People turn to food as a way to cope with the stress and their loneliness, so I think that’s why people are fatter today. Also, kids don’t go outside to play as much or ride their bicycles because they fear that they might be harmed.The way that exercise is marketed it’s basically showing that it’s a way to look attractive sexually and not just for health. Exercise is also not stressed because many celebrities get surgery to obtain the physical appearance that they desire!

[@gwenshin]

People also socialized more. In the Detroit area in the 40s and 50s, it was common for families to go out after dinner for a walk around the neighborhood to say "hello", and chat with the neighbors. Today, people barely say "hello", and just grunt at you if your lucky. Technology should be allowing us more free time to spend in nature, make new friends and enjoying activity. Its all in how you choose to use it.

[@jessblackproductions]

I’m trying to incorporate a more vintage lifestyle in my modern life. I grew up using technology and internet seems to be more of a requirement than a choice in our modern world, so I use it to learn the old fashioned ways people did things back then. I’m a housewife and thanks to having a dog, I go on 1-3 walks every day. I try to clean the way housewives did in the 50s and 60s. It’s work in progress but I’m getting there. Food is a hard thing to control with healthier food being expensive and having a budget, so I try to just manage portions and balance it with my more naturally active lifestyle. It truly is all about balance, calorie counting just stresses me out

[@WarrenNash]

Great bit of info, thanks.

[@jessblackproductions]

Ann Merrick lately I’ve been buying more fresh produce like people did back then and eating more fruit a veggies and less dairy and bread. And I already do eat plenty of fish and other proteins. It’s healthy food like quinoa that I tend to not buy because it’s expensive. We already don’t eat a lot of processed foods or sugars.

[@jessblackproductions]

Ann Merrick take a deep breath, this may shock you.... You do not know my life. Clumping all Americans together into one big basket and saying "Americans don't know this blablabla" is extremely rude and inconsiderate. My husband and I would rather be able to pay bills than spend money on the fancy organic food. Idk about you but I like having electricity, a car, and a place to live. I eat what I can afford. We have a budget for groceries and we try to stick to it. We don't buy the next big electronic that comes on sale. We don't buy brand new video games all the time. We have pay as you go phones. My electronic devices were given to me by my family for birthdays. My husband is going through college to get a career in conservation law enforcement. He works in a freaking factory. So pipe down, go eat your kale and mind your own damn business.

[@jessblackproductions]

Ann Merrick -- I have not complained once. And none of what I said were excuses. I am not the one with a problem here, it appears to be you have a problem with people who live in America and not other countries that have no money or ready made food. Well, too bad for you that I am a patriotic American who loves my country and freedom and the ability to choose whether or not to spend MY money on organic foods. Where do you live? What hurt you so bad that you hate America so much that you have to bash it just because I don’t buy quinoa and kale and other organic foods? I have been completely calm over here, sipping herbal tea, petting my dog and cats and smooching my hard working husband. Not all Americans are rich and “privileged.” My husband grew up the definition of poor. So I think you should a little bit of self reflection, stop yelling at people who have different opinions than you, and go on happily living your life. I’ll pray for you.

[@jessblackproductions]

Ann Merrick excuse me? You have been the one harassing me, bashing my country, calling me ungrateful, blah blah blah.... all because I said quinoa was expensive to me. Want me to stop? Fine. Have fun harassing more people you entitled sad woman. I will pray for you.

[@southerncross3638]

High fructose corn syrup, its sugar on steroids.

[@WarrenNash]

Great insight. Thanks.

[@brianarbenz7206]

You've nailed it. I lost 120 pounds from 2008 through 2012, mostly by no longer buying foods with HFCS.

[@anitaares8271]

Right? Instead that old trope of calories in/ Calories out. Blame the victim. I couldn't finish watching it.

[@robinlillian9471]

HFCS is cheap, so they put a lot more in. The sweeter food is, the more people buy. The problem in sugar is fructose. HFCS has more fructose than glucose, which gives some people cramps & diarrhea, only they don't know what is causing it, because HFCS is in so many foods.

[@terrywestbrook-lienert2296]

Martin Dodds And anything with HFCS tastes awful! That's why I drink water, organic fruit juices, and occasionally a Mexican Cola. And I park far enough away to walk to my destination.

[@objective7042]

Not only the 50s. The 60's to the late 70's obesity was still none existant it's around the late 80's obesity started to creep up.

[@librascales4767]

Danny I agree. Born in seventies. Schooled during eighties and it was rare to see an obese child back then.

[@donnarichardson7214]

Corresponds EXACTLY with huge proliferation of cheap processed junk food full of high-fructose corn syrup. Used to be there wasn't anything but a bag of chips in your average grocery. Hard for people to imagine now.

[@bunny_0288]

That was when they started telling everyone to eat low fat and how eggs were bad for you, etc. And then they replaced the fat (which is satisfying and good for brain health) with extra sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

[@melodysafo5437]

And if you were either overweight or obese, it was game over for you, because nobody was nice to you. These decades were pretty fatphobic.

[@joycejean-baptiste4355]

Very interesting, when I was in school back in the early 1960's and 1970's there were maybe were one or two chubby kids in class but no obese kids. We played jump rope, hopscotch, tag, kick ball, tree climbing, bike riding, roller skating and such. We walked to school and to the stores. Eating habits weren't super healthy but more so and we ate less than we do now. Thanks for the video, brings back memories.

[@Novusod]

It was still like that in the 1980s. Every class had one "fat kid" but that was the outlier. Everyone else was thin and active. There was gym class every day and it was considered just as important as every other subject. Coach put everyone through their paces even if they weren't on a sports team. Participation was mandatory. There was basketball, volleyball, soccer, flag football, wrestling, and rope climbing. This was done during school hours because teachers understood physical fitness was just as important as academics. The big change occurred post 2000 with No child left behind and then common core. Those programs refocused school time purely into academics. Gym class was cut down to one day per week or eliminated entirely. The results of those programs have not been pretty. Walk into a classroom in 2024 and every kid will either be fat or obese and half of them are on medication for ADHD and Autism. Thin kids are the exception.

[@ccco8639]

I find it almost comical, but mostly sad, that people seem to have an unrealistic view on the 50's based on (probably) movies or pictures they've seen. I still see many smokers today, so it wasn't because they smoked their appetites away. Granted, there was still the occasional obese person, just maybe not as many. In my childhood, we had no tv nor all this modern technology. We played outside as children, and as a result didn't develop unhealthy habits being sedentary. (As in staring at tvs or online games) More families gardened and canned. We had no fast food. And we didn't sit and stare at our phones off and on. And keeping up on housework, and gardening, helped keep many mothers physically active. And yes, life was more enjoyable, because we didn't live in an unrealistic online world, watching *other* people live *their lives...we lived our *own*.

[@patriciasmith7074]

In the 60’s I started smoking and I smoked, I didn’t eat. Kids could play outside without the fear of a predator kidnapping your child.

[@franwebb7756]

So true. My mom very seldom sat around. Running a household then required physical activity. A after school snack was go out to the garden and get vegstables and eat with homemade bread and maybe a glass if milk. We kids were outside a lot even in cold weather. Good life.

[@lisamarieva3514]

True. I remember seeing a lot of over weight people in the 60s too.

[@pamelag7553]

I was born in 64, but even so things were still different then. Fast food was a rarity we only had one restaurant and it was about 15 minutes away. Yes the roads and neighborhoods were so much safer. My sister and I ran all over the place, blocks away to friends houses and back. When the streetlights came on in the summer we had to be home. But during the day we walked and went everywhere with friends or by ourselves. There was never any fear and no one ever bothered you. The kids today have really missed out, it's a little bit sad.

[@williamschlenger1518]

Springchick mrsO I grew up in the 50s&I know people lived better. No fast food&you cut your own lawn.If you're not old enough,dont comment.

[@anynamebutmyrealone]

Here's another theory: Stress. It actually fires up hormones to prevent our degestive system from working properly, besides of course the fact that many people eat unconsciously to try and release stress. The thing is that people performing manual labor today are actually the fattest category, namely people with low income. Their lives have however become much more complicated and chaotic. Especially on a mental level.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

Not only that, but the food that fills you up without costing a lot (pasta, bread, etc.) also fills you out. Try affording a healthy diet while you're trying to decide between food and medical or dental care, and you won't be able to have anything very healthy for the most part.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

I know that things like that are unnecessary, but what about when you have to choose between food and medicine, or heat, or something else that is necessary but you don't have the money for it? You eat cheaper food and that isn't always healthy.

[@nikkid4890]

anynamebutmyrealone 100% supported scientifically. Very true. Prolonged stress hormones include cortisol, which plays havoc with both your appetite as well as your metabolism.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

Ann Merrick, let me get this straight: You say that Americans complain all the time and that every last one has it SO EASY compared to much of the world. That seems to upset you. In fact, it makes you come here and complain. Right. Welcome to the Human Race.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

I've heard that cortisol is responsible for making the fat get deposited in the abdomen, too.

[@veronicacougar5687]

Today, even if you exercise, walk just about everywhere, take the stairs, etc., you still have to practically starve yourself to maintain a "normal" weight. When I was a kid, I would ride my bike three miles to the barn and ride my pony for hours every day after school, galloping all over the countryside, and I still had a weight problem. I got down to 115 lbs. ONCE in my life, when I literally starved myself while working out for FOUR HOURS A DAY, and gee, wow, I looked good, until my hair started falling out and I almost died from exhaustion and malnutrition. Fuck that. I'm not going to put myself through that crap any more. No one I know who is skinny, is happy, or healthy. They're obsessed with food and how little they eat. They are sickly and their bone structure is spindly. They are always cold and get sick easily. To a one. They look miserable and unhappy whenever there's a box of donuts brought into work. They talk among themselves for hours about how good the donuts smell, but they just can't have one, over and over. At the end of the day, the box is full of 3/4 pieces of donuts; the perpetually dieting people had given in to their cravings and snuck 1/4b of a donut when no one was looking. It's freaking neurotic. I can't believe all these comments on here, claiming there was NO junk food and everyone had to walk everywhere. Bullshit. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. We had a ton of fast food and candy, everywhere, there was Nestle's Quick and Lucky Charms and Kool Aid, and Cocoa Puffs and Sugar Smacks and Apple Jacks, and Hostess and Little Debbie and Yodels...there was a ton of that kind of stuff everywhere before the 60's, too. There were burger joints, sweet shops, you could get a malted milk, a root beer float, a ton of penny and nickel candy at the drug store, there was 7-Eleven and McDonald's and Hardees and Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken and Dairy Queen and Carvel, EVERYWHERE. You could go to a carnival four times a year and the state fair once a year and gorge yourself on pies and fried everything and cotton candy...come on, people, who are you kidding? "We didn't snack between meals," liars, you know you snuck over to the corner store after school and bought candy with your allowance unless your family was stone cold broke; or you bought a bunch of candy and sold it to support your candy habit, or some of you even stole a bunch from the little country store across the street from school that had a whole wall full of every kind of candy imaginable, then sold a bunch of it to kids at school during recess, or you raided the cookie jar at home while Mom was yakking on the phone. And I'm sorry, but every family on my block and beyond had a car in the 50's and 60's, most had two cars, Mom had a big ass station wagon and Dad drove the sedan to and from work, and it's the same thing today. My college dietician instructor admitted to me that it's actually not healthy to eat so little to maintain a "healthy" weight of 115 lbs. for a 5'4" woman, you have to take vitamin/mineral supplement for the rest of your life because you don't get all the vitamins and nutrients from the amount of food you have to limit yourself to, to attain these unrealistic weight goals!!! Something is WRONG with this picture!! Our bodies are 50,000 years behind our minds in terms of evolution!! We aren't out there scrabbling around in the dirt or chasing down wildlife with spears ALL DAY trying to rustle up some grub. And I do mean all day, from sunup to sundown, compared to an hour a day at the gym today. THAT IS WHY IT'S SO HARD TO GET IT OFF AND KEEP IT OFF. That is the dilemma we have to overcome.

[@alleycat616]

Yes! Thank you for making these points! I have to starve and overwork myself to be a “normal healthy” weight. As it stands I hate being constantly hungry and this have been a little overweight for a good portion of my life. It really sucks but at the end of the day I’m not going to kill myself to be skinny.

[@heatherblack7593]

Whatever it takes for you to cope, fatty.

[@NataliaKlucha]

We just eat more and move less, that's all 😊

[@adelia988]

Natalia Klucha it’s not just the amount it’s often what’s in the food and drinks now.

[@sassysandy-dk1dt]

Mr Ex i know this is old, but we got to remember food now is hella lacking in nutrition. Our bodies are just not getting enough therefore we tend to feel more hungry. ‘Real food’ was eaten a lot more back then, rather than processed food, so people ate less and felt more satisfied. 😅

[@aidoll3692]

@@adelia988 while you're not wrong, they're still putting more calorie dense materials, if not just flat out making the food more cravable.

[@joylynch5204]

Not to mention pollution, excitotoxins, corn syrup, on sustainable farming practices which lower nutrients of the food, antibiotics and animal made, GMO’s, and massive amounts of pesticides sprayed everywhere. Not to mention plastics that create toxins in our air. Plastics disrupt hormones which control weight.

[@liquidblueyes]

This video covered everything I’ve always believed to be true about the stark differences between mid-century living and today. Technology was created so people could spend more time with their families, but instead it’s made us lazier and less social. Striking the right balance is key, as you stated in the video. Great job putting this together. I really enjoyed the vintage clips!

[@WarrenNash]

Hi Rachel, that's such an interesting concept - technology also being used so families could spend more time together. Glad you liked the video - it's the first time I've done one of this kind so thanks for the feedback :-)

[@bycuritiba]

No shut up

[@WarrenNash]

Charming...

[@bycuritiba]

Well i made you replie im satisfiyed ok bye

[@HenrieRzeznik]

JCRGH idiot

[@gemmarium4337]

You completely forgot to mention how portion sizes have doubled even tripled since the 50’s. Fast food also hardly existed in the 50’s. There were also FAR less hormones, antibiotics, GMOs and bs put into foods. Those are also significant factors.

[@bobsmoth-iv3sp]

We used to get full size candy bars for Halloween , now the kids get bite sized miniatures

[@cynthiar7350]

I’m in my late 60’s & remember our portion sizes were smaller & fast food was pretty much unheard of except for a treat; not on every corner for every meal. We had dessert after every meal & drank sweet tea, Coca Cola was a rare treat & bottles were smaller. Housewives/Homemakers worked hard even with washer & dryer, however we hung our clothes on the line unless raining. We ironed everything, which I still do today. I do miss the smell of bed linens dried on the line in the sun.

[@abigailh2824]

My mother & grandmother cooked everything from scratch and everyone had to wait & sit at the table for meals. I often wonder how much less I would eat if I had to prepare & wait for it? Microwaves have changed eating patterns a lot😊

[@berenicebauer72]

Looking at my 50's cook book I see that portions were smaller..

[@AngelaMerici12]

I think is all culture and eating habits. Just look Japan, modern, higher automatication and still very healthy.

[@tmdsb2655]

AngelaMerici12 um, it’s because they walk everywhere. Not that they don’t have cars, walking is just more efficient for them.

[@tmdsb2655]

John Wayne I’ve been to japan so many times, legit every single summer and winter break. No, they cook their own foods, and they exercise way more. End of this discussion.

[@edennis8578]

@John Wayne I have Japanese relatives and friends; Japanese food is very high in sugar and calories. In general, Asian countries have two distinct body types: slender, and fat. They can eat the same things and be as active, but the one will stay slender and the other will be fat. By the way, many Asian women are slender until they hit middle age and after having a couple of kids, then they plump out. I live in a college town with thousands of Asian students and their parents (yes, many parents live with their student children) and the daughter may be thin and delicate, but the mothers look like middle-aged moms, not hotsy totsy skinny minnies.

[@littlemom2070]

It’s fat shaming social pressure in Japan. People might get their feelings hurt but it really does keep people in line. Japanese food is very balanced. Little bites of everything and very little veganism. Also Japan has public transportation as the norm. Still a lot of walking or biking to the train stations. As to the commenter who says Asian women get fatter in middle age - are you living in Japan or America? If it’s America then no wonder because Asian Americans are subject to the same junk food and ads as other Americans.

[@DangSnowy]

Little Mom Pasadena most informed comment. Thank you. Japan will fat shame you and even as a US small (2) and I would be a medium or even large there. They have respect for food and it’s in their culture not to over eat or eat unbalanced food. They never had a problem with unhealthy school lunches. And even though they have KFC for Xmas, they don’t overindulge. Of course, there are some who don’t apply to any of these norms.

[@Kawsaki]

We were also a lot thinner in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s too

[@bellasmom2013]

People also didn’t eat in restaurants as often. We also didn’t have fast food and food was not entertainment. I was a child in the sixties and we only had soda, cake and ice cream at birthday parties. Also walked to and from school.

[@lexijames9413]

Let’s WALK more people!!

[@WarrenNash]

Well said!

[@mikegehre570]

Amazing the amount of people who have to park close to everything. Me? I park a ways away and walk. Novel idea, but I try to incorporate "exercise" in every day tasks. Walking for distances is good and should be done often

[@WarrenNash]

Mike Gehre Great idea. Also getting off a bus stop early.

[@anthonyfelker1712]

Lexi James NO! We don’t have to walk. We can go to our doctor and get a note that we have to be provided a cart to sit in as we fill our extra large cart with steaks and potatoes. Frozen, sodium loaded meals, family size. Go hame and sit in front of the tube and live it up! Ah, The America Dream! Let’s go get some bigger clothes!

[@leslieinadress]

I would love to walk to more places but there is no where close enough to walk or safe enough to walk. I would have to cross a highway to get to the nearest grocery store.

[@maconscott6585]

Seems to me eating is the number one recreation in the U.S. today.

[@donaldfewell9929]

Just about

[@flower_sunset8067]

I wish we could just do things like the 1950s ( I mean like style, everyday things, not segregation and stuff )

[@YTjndallas]

However- On a one-stop shopping excursion in a SuperWalmart, you might walk a mile or two under that roof.

[@robertataft3836]

Walking 1/2 mile everyday (what they did) is better than walking 1 mile every week or two (what we do)

[@dthatcher7]

I think another main culprit was going from relatively fatty but low sugar diets (desserts excepted, of course) to relatively low fat but high sugar diets. Sometime in the 70s/80s, fat became the bogeyman and food manufacturers responded by replacing fat with sugar to maintain flavor.

[@winstonchaychel]

David Thatcher YES!! SO much this 👏 low fat and hidden sugar diet made me hungrier. Now I just stick to real food and none of the hidden crap. That means bacon and butter on my fresh veggies as a meal I had tonight for dinner. And lunch was just a chicken leg, while breakfast was coffee (I'm not really big on breakfast lol). I eat less because my body feels fuller faster.

[@Prancer1231]

Also too much salt in processed foods makes you bloated.

[@douglasgriffiths3534]

Not to mention all that hidden sugar caused diabetes to run rampant. Many more diabetics today, myself included.

[@Godlyseitan]

David Thatcher u have it the other way around. Its foods high in fat sodium and sugar. Just eat non processed foods and you will be fine w exercise.

[@JLDReactions]

David Thatcher Yes, I totally agree! I don´t concern myself with fat as much as I concern myself with sugar! Sugar and overprocessed carbs are what make you fat. Plant fat and some animal fat are good for you.

[@Johnl1800]

It's more than people simply being less active portion sizes today are over the top. A dinner plate from the 50's would be considered a salad plate today. The typical dinner plate of today would practically be a serving platter back in the 50's. Now consider that it's usually piled high with greasy, salty, fried, calorie dense "food" (often heavily processed) and then with a sugar saturated dessert and non stop snacking combined with a sedentary lifestyle and you end up with the current obesity rates.

[@Karen-gh8gv]

Yes, good point. Portion sizes today are ridiculous.

[@TheWBWoman]

Agreed! I can't find 10 inch plates anymore. The new coffee cups are the size of large soup bowls! Who needs that much coffee? I don't know why the dinnerware is being made as if we are giants these days. We have an obesity crisis yet the dinnerware designers are determined to make us even fatter!

[@Johnl1800]

You aren't kidding about the size of the coffee cups. Some of them are so huge that they can literally hold a half a pot of coffee.

[@susannickols6326]

Totally agree plates are huge mugs and cereal bowls the same and spoon sizes as well and we measure ingredients with spoons disgusting.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

I have been placing my meals on salad plates for several years now. I use the dinner plates to cut up ingredients when I make food. They're easier to clean than cutting boards. I have a few plastic cutting boards that I use to roll out pie crusts and for making bread.

[@cventura9048]

Lets Not forget in the 50's also ate natural foods and smaller portions. Just look at the muffins people eat today equals 3 muffins in the 50's. And food today are totally processed with GMOs corn and GMOs soy, refined sugars. And people very rarely drank sugared sodas.

[@JohnDoe-et8th]

We drank sugared sodas at almost every meal, and ate a lot of sugary stuff. But FAR smaller portions. Don't romanticize "natural food" in the 50s--it was wall-to--wall Wonderbread, hot dogs, burgers, pork chops. A lot of red meat and no fresh veg (all frozen and tasteless and therefore not eaten much). Not to mention TV dinners.

[@mnsh6313]

Smooth and good way to advertise calorie counter app.

[@Joey-db8bv]

1950s. I'm responsibility for my health and well-being. Today. It's everyone else fault I'm lazy and it's the world's job to make my life better.

[@randomizedartman00]

Too true

[@rossyvizcarra1927]

👌🏽

[@user-gu9yq5sj7c]

Unfair comparison cause the culture, environment, and system was different back then making it easier for people to be thinner. Such as places being more walkable like this video talked about. Etc. Modern junk and media is also addictive. You made assumptions that the culture and environment then wasn't probably the biggest factor, that it was just hard work then, and that past people were more disciplined than they were. Watch Not Just Bikes. Watch Rich Roll's videos on the blue zones. The man who studies the blue zones said those long living people are not more disciplined but just live life cause their environment and culture make it easier to be healthier. There's food deserts. How bout helping people instead of you just ignoring and blaming people? Especially when obesity is a big problem.

[@castaway123100]

Why are we only focusing on females? Male waistlines have increased as well and they are shopping and cleaning more than they did in the fifties.

[@janaekelis]

Its usually women on trends and boy has not only fashion, but diets have changed drastically

[@scikick]

How are males doing more shopping cleaning than they did in the fifties? This video applies to everyone. Everyone walked more, did more chores, more outdoor activities, more labor intensive works..

[@marylawson6060]

@Julia A Plenty of materials whether it's for a size 4 or 20. The demand is there no matter the size.

[@gulfrelay2249]

@Julia A seen at Wal Mart: whale size bikinis. I can hardly wait, boy!

[@infinitebeaches]

@Julia A being shameful of fat people is unproductive and likely makes the situation worse. The reason people are fat are structural mechanisms, like what food is available and education. Obesity is also highly correlated with poverty, suggesting a greater problem with food production and distribution.

[@psychedelicpython]

I'm 57 years old and I must say that I've had the best of both worlds, growing up without cellphones or computers and as an adult having these thing's. I wouldn't change my life span for anything. It was great not having video games when I was a kid and the fact that kids could play outside without worrying about being abducted. Yeah I had to walk 6 blocks to school but it makes me smile thinking how awesome it was compared to how things are today (at no fault of the kids today). Food is a factor these days for weight issues with artificial and genetically modified foods among other thing's which is sad.

[@murahkami]

Thanks for the video! I have to share though that diet is EVERYTHING as we can see from people who vigorously work out at the gym week after week without seeing much change in their weight and body size. Some people are WAY more active than others and still they're not as thin as the people in the 1950's. Their food wasn't inundated with chemicals, toxins, flavors, GMO, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, soy this, corn that, etc. Their food was far more wholesome than ours is here in the US now. I visited Europe many years back and life there was very different. People were thinner there, they walked more, but when you look at the ingredients in their packaged food, it's far cleaner than ours. Crisco, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Quaker Oats, etc all sell to them the same products they sell to us but with better, more wholesome ingredients. Toxins in our environment and in our food/beauty products make a huge difference! The way they treated their livestock in the 1950's was way better and more humane than how the meat and diary companies treat them today. Back then there were a ton of different companies, now there's just a few that supply us with all the meat/dairy we consume...and it would make you cry if you actually saw what they fed them and how they treated them. Outrageously inhumane! It's all about cheaper, faster, better to gain more profit. We as the consumers have all the power though. We're sitting on a million bucks and don't even know it... A million dollars that will give us the freedom and power to make so much positive change in our own life and the lives of our community...

[@sionnachmacbradaigh1010]

People also has a far less hectic lifestyle in the 50s. It was common to work 8 hours and go home. Today, thanks to technology, we are never off the clock.

[@fabienzaca]

true true less time or close to no time to take care of ourselves. This was very evident during the quarantine. I had lots of time so I used it to workout and eat better I actually lost 15 pounds in a few months but now that I am working again it hard to find time to exercise and not go to a drive thru for a quick bite.

[@sionnachmacbradaigh1010]

@IT'SME it means for many Americans, the work day never ends, we are always on call.

[@donnarichardson7214]

Simply, the world was more structured then because of less technology. As you say, they got up and went to work, came home, and relaxed; virtually no one except doctors was "on call" after their eight-hour day. You had to plan when to use the car to get places (not often), especially when there was only one car in the family. Fewer choices=simpler, less stressful life. Especially when most of the "choices" are merely corporate gimmicks, all bad, to give you the illusion of choice when all the alternative products and services are inferior.

[@mariosmatzoros3553]

@@sionnachmacbradaigh1010 That's because there are no regulations regarding work-life balance in the U.S .

[@rossyvizcarra1927]

Ugh for real poor tech workers

[@miriambucholtz9315]

In the 1950s, even driving a car expended more energy than it does today. No power steering, so you had to muscle that wheel. Windows were cranked up and down by hand. No power brakes, so your legs got a workout. Lots of cars had manual transmissions, so add in all the moving around and stomping pedals simply to change gears all the time. Of course, the car usually belonged to the father of the family for him to drive to and from work. If you were a child, you walked or rode your bicycle to and from wherever you needed to go. We played outdoors, also. I wish I were physically capable of still being able to ride a bicycle or even walk for long distances, but I now have spinal arthritis and it does not respond particularly well to over-the-counter pain medicine any more. I have managed to lose some 70 pounds over the last 30 years or so and keep them off, primarily by using portion control and sticking to serving sizes. The cost of food also helps me from eating too much, but that's something else altogether.

[@rachelgarber1423]

Miriam Bucholtz Ikwym about cars, I grew up in the '50s. we didn't get a second car until my mom got a job outside the home when I was abt 12, we had two cars for a family of 5. My sisters and I walked almost everywhere except to school. Now a family of 5 has five cars once the kids are old enough to drive. We had a wringer washer and hung clothes outdoors from spring to fall. I think we eventually got a dryer. We were always outdoors in warm weather. Except me, I read a lot even in the summer.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

I still remember the joy of falling asleep under sheets that smelled of sunshine from having hung outside to dry. Thanks for the sensory memory. I also did a lot of reading more than anything else. The encyclopedias finally ended up on my bookshelf in my room.

[@ImWORTHITINC]

wow!! amazing insights!! you even give apps!!! did you make any episodes about the mindset it takes to lose weight, or the mindset to get fat? I lost 250 pounds and i"m focusing on mindset to help my coaching clients. GREAT WORK warren!!! you're worth it!

[@WarrenNash]

Ah thanks for the lovely comment.

[@mikebayliss8598]

I find it so funny when in town early evening when the car park to the gym is full and through the windows all you can see is people on treadmills / running machines, with their little energy drink bottles. Am I the only one too see the irony of this.

[@RitaBaumann]

The answer is: High-fructose corn syrup. Avoid it like the plague.

[@4our31]

punkinhoot do you put pancake syrup on everything you eat?

[@JohnDoe-et8th]

@@punkinhoot High-fructose corn syrup was invented by a Japanese scientist in the late 1960s. Hirohito's Revenge.

[@Me-mb1ex]

punkinhoot Are you sure you’re not thinking of regular corn syrup because that’s not the same thing.

[@josephchandler7140]

Insted just to spite you im going to eat everything i can with high fructose corn syrup

[@4our31]

@@josephchandler7140 you’re only hurting yourself please don’t not sure if actually gonna do it but it’s a pretty easy way to get fatty liver disease

[@frankjoseph7259]

Kids today can't believe their ancestors had to get up from their chairs to change channels and adjust the volume on the TVs.

[@sungchoe4370]

the whole family would gather around to watch one show, then turn it off.

[@RobertJohnson-de5zi]

LMAO... I WAS the remote control growing up!

[@sungchoe4370]

that's why people used to have kids lol

[@lisam4066]

You forgot getting up to adjust the rabbit ears. Kids today probably don't know what antennas are or what they were used for.

[@frankjoseph7259]

@Maryslamb1519 Maryslamb1519 when I went in the army in 1969, almost everyone had a 30- 32" waist. Kids played football on every corner lot.

[@leonaa123]

Off topic, but let's bring skirts and dresses back, ladies

[@Kubrickstareintomysoul]

Leona Andreea no

[@casper1754]

We can still wear skirts and dresses. Just let people wear what they want.

[@cookiek3350]

I don’t like dresses

[@xxLittleCuteixx]

fuck off

[@juliwitham7343]

haha i do what i want.but if anybody wants to you do you

[@TheCarolgibbons]

A lot of people were smoking back then too, which makes one not overeat as much.

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

You mentioned leisure changes, but I think a big one is that we don't dance much. Going to a local dance was generally cheap, and, even if it was only one night a week, two to three hours on your feet, especially with the more energetic dances, would burn a great deal more than just going to a diner or a movie. In some of the movies from the fifties, people would put on records and dance as part of a dinner party or just to practice.

[@denvercatwoman6561]

So true. I attended an enormous, outdoor party last year and the only folks dancing were the over 60s. Being one of that age group, I was actually stunned that the younger folks were just standing around.

[@Karen-gh8gv]

Does doing the stroll expend more calories than twerking? :-P

[@krychickspp2745]

People go out to clubs and dance all the time! If anything, dancing today probably expends more calories than dancing in the 50s.

[@sbel6626]

krychick SPP yeah but most clubs have a pricey cover charge and they usually expect you to drink, which has a shit ton of calories

[@krychickspp2745]

Everyone I know drinks/smokes at home first before going out (if that's their thing) and then goes with a designated driver. If you bring one and go to a place that has a cover charge you don't pay it- we encourage designated drivers here, we are extremely strict about drunk driving. Even if you don't care, it's such a pain if you get caught even once hardly anyone chances it. It's usually me because I don't drink. Since folks have already gotten their groove on, maybe we all get one drink or two at most at the club- $5 total if they charge a cover. When we're dancing like crazy we mostly want ice water anyway- no charge and free refills for the night if you've bought even one drink. Where I live (a fairly good-sized city in upstate NY), if the clubs charge anything at the door it's two bucks at most, for the 'fancy' type places and only on the weekend, maybe- but the places that charge a cover and drink minimums around here overwhelmingly feature live music. We have a lot of those kinds of places here, as our city is pretty much known for music, but they are mostly sit down type venues with a very small dance floor if they have one at all, so we only go there if we want to see the band play. The regular dance clubs here don't charge a cover during the week and Fri-Sat it's maybe $2 and they give YOU a drink ticket- worth it. One drink and you dance all night for free? Yep, worth it, and the calories burn right off while you're having a great time with friends!! And now that there's no smoking indoors anymore, it's a lot less stinky and the air is clear. 🤙

[@CarolAnnNapolitano]

Growing up in the 70's I knew only one really over weight girl in my neighborhood, everyone else was in shape.

[@burymedeep-be7dm]

Yes the same for me. There was one girl I still remember her name who was very fat. Now when I take the bus to work and stop to pick up the high school kids every second or third one is fat. Some are huge.

[@samjones4451]

@@burymedeep-be7dm Ditto. I ride city buses in my town. See mostly overweight women and some men. It seems to be getting worse. Also cell phones are a growing menace on buses.

[@donnarichardson7214]

Same in the 60s. First time I saw an obese person was in a doctor's waiting room when I had an earache on vacation in rural New Hampshire (polluted lake!). I whispered something about it to my mother and she said, "Poor people sometimes get fat, especially older women." A truth everyone knew back then. Poor diet is the most important reason, though exercise is also a factor. People's diets now are just loaded with fructose corn syrup--empty garbage--not available much before the 80s, when obesity started to skyrocket. And the worst cases--as before--are in poor areas with "food deserts," poor education, little money--now it takes more education and effort to do what came naturally when everyone wasn't surrounded by addictive garbage. Blame corporations, government subsidies to big farms growing huge cash crops of junk corn, and that Japanese scientist who discovered high-fructose corn syrup in the late 60s. Hirohito's revenge.

[@melodysafo5437]

And did you make fun of her

[@rymacreeks2k07]

@@melodysafo5437 It was the 70s, she probably bullied everyone that wasn't a straight, average weight, white person, but that was kind of the norm in the 70s to bully anyone that isn't exactly that tbh

[@5DNRG]

I was a victim of Barbie and Twiggy...believing a waistline of 24" was required. I still believe it and have maintained a healthy 105 lbs. Mind over matter. Always knew a long life was in the cards, so made a directed effort to stay healthy in older age, became vegan in 1976.💚 no alcohol, tobacco, toxic people!

[@sz1768]

My mother was skinny in the 1950s and we had a live-in maid. She smoked and took amphetamines (diet pills) her doctor prescribed to her, and probably any other woman who simply asked for them. She also wriggled herself into a tight girdle before getting dressed. We did snack much less often, and never ate desserts.

[@Breakbeats92.5]

The same people that say they don't have time to go to the gym and can't afford a membership are the same people that pay 200 quid (dollars) a month on a cable bill and watch Netflix for 3 hours straight.

[@rach_laze]

Music Power no not really I can't afford the gym and don't have time working 2 jobs and going to uni, my jobs barely pay enough for rent let alone food and definitely no t.v I have the absolute cheapest internet bill and pay £15 a month at the post office for it just to stay connected to my family and submit coursework, I have no car, no insurance and no extras to pay ontop of my rent since bills are included but I have maybe 2 hours a week free so I take 1 martial arts class that costs £5 in that time to let off some steam. Student poverty is a real thing and it's only growing worldwide, it's mostly young people that don't have the time or money to do things and 90% of my friends are in the same boat as me barely making the £110 a week it costs in rent

[@MysLed]

Umm.. I think your paying too much for your cable and netflix. It's not those bills that take up the majority of today's income. Like the commenter above stated, today's average worker works those long hours or many jobs just to cover the cost for rent alone.

[@Breakbeats92.5]

Rachel Lazenby You can run outside for free and do calisthenics in your flat at no cost.

[@Revidescent84]

Even that's not always an option. I live in a small room in Texas. The bed takes up most of the room, or else I'd do a workout tape or put a treadmill in there, but can't. It's 105 degrees right now, so outside exercise would send you to the ER. I work 60 hours a week on top of that and meals are cheap things like pop tarts, ramen, hot pockets, etc that I know are awful for me but I can't afford much more. It's sad a lot of us have just accepted poor health and short lifespans because today's wages for the under 40s don't allow for a decent lifestyle.

[@Breakbeats92.5]

Revidescent84 Don't make excuses, make it happen.

[@BriannasPlanet]

When I went to Japan it was nearly impossible to spot an overweight person, let alone someone who was obese. I was shocked when I came back to the United States and saw how many people here are overweight. It’s pretty sad

[@dexterlockwood7829]

I was born in 1934. There’s a lot of reasons that contribute to the obesity crisis of today. Firstly, most jobs in the 1950s were labour intensive, so you were burning off a lot more calories. Secondly, the food was different. Nowadays, you have McDonalds, KFC, Burger King etc. This contributes a lot to the obesity crisis. Plus it doesn’t help that junk food is promoted a lot in tv ads. Thirdly, life in general was more labour intensive back then. Just stuff like going out to buy food or household choirs were more labour intensive. Supermarkets were barely there in the 1950s, so there were multiple stores you had to go to get your food. The greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers, bakery etc. We’re also thinking about how you got to them stores. Back in the 50s, cars were a luxury to own as most people did not own one. You were walking there, going on a bicycle or taking public transport. That in itself again you’re moving round more. It was also a luxury to have the simple stuff we have nowadays, such as a fridge or washing machine. You wanted to wash your clothes, you needed a bucket of hot, soapy water, a washboard and a scrub. As well, how we get our entertainment nowadays, you’re watching tv, a computer or on you’re mobile phone. Back then you were going the bingo, the pictures or golfing. I’m not saying no one at all does any of those things nowadays, but I’m mostly where a lot more of our entertainment comes from nowadays, is technology. So that and all the other factors put together contribute to the obesity crisis.

[@mcren6781]

Imagine how incredible owning a car in the 50s would have been. No traffic cops, no traffic, no fighting for parking, low gas prices. Owning a car is now a burden.

[@lisathuban5534]

My mom was overweight back in the 40's and 50's when she was a young lady. Both her brothers were slender and athletic. Her mom was always trim and fit, my grandfather had a little belly, but he was tall and carried it well. Why, then, with good food, more exercise, and a fit family was my mother overweight? Well, disposition to overweight can and is also influenced by genes. There were other family members further back, when obesity was even rarer, who had weight issues. Otherwise, for most people, this video is 100% correct. You can have a predisposition for weight problems, but it's made worse with our modern lifestyles.

[@tonyapauls151]

Lisa Thuban o.

[@lumamagregenbogen2485]

Lisa Thuban its genetic. Some people need less food then others. When they eat the same amound of food they gain waight. My sister is obese, but my and and me arent. We eat the same food.

[@dogestranding5047]

Luma mag Regenbögen the same food, but the same amount?

[@lisathuban5534]

That is a good question, Bryan. Also, exercise figures into it. Someone who exercises several times a week will burn calories and make muscle that helps to burn the calories.

[@lotstolearn5350]

Lisa Thuban : Antibiotics as a young child?

[@juliaasell7732]

I thought this was going to be offensive some one talking about the "good old days" but this was rather informative and intresting

[@WarrenNash]

Great to hear Julia.

[@user-jn1ts4wl1c]

julia åsell sometimes truth can be very offensive.

[@karla1254]

Exactly! I was bracing myself for an offensive vid, but this was very well done 😊

[@emmadorova1908]

Sorry that it offends you guys to know lots of people are disgustingly obese. More than back then.

[@RianeBane]

I would think that public health crises ought to be offensive. What better thing to be offended about than a wake-up call for modern society? Recalling how common healthy lifestyles used to be, and how difficult it seems to be to live healthy now, may be something offensive and shocking - but maybe that'll motivate us to solve these problems and be more conscious about our choices.

[@swatson1190]

My wife is 5 ft tall and is 115 lbs. I am 5 ft 9 inches tall and 150 lbs. We eat anything we want. We only go grocery shopping twice a month. She is a stay at home wife and I am a delivery driver.

[@Off_the_clock_astrophysicist]

My phone criticizes me for not walking enough. Sometimes I will come back inside from mowing my lawn and my phone, left on my kitchen table, tells me "you haven't moved in the last 2 hours. Consider stretching your legs".

[@annawitter5161]

There you go! No diet required! Build more physical work into day. Stairs instead of lift...walk more...etc

[@michaelroachface926]

Move more eat less, yes

[@ametrineambrosia4929]

@Mary Smith eat whatever you want and you'll lack the nutrients to repair your body. It's not about weight. It's about HEALTH🙄🙄😠

[@user-yr3uj6go8i]

Why is obesity more common than ever before? Good question, you ask. Too many people hardly walk, if ever. The majority of people have a lifestyle that includes spending the majority of their time sitting. Almost no one intentionally chooses to commute to work by walking or riding a bicycle consistently, despite its benefits. The majority of people intentionally chooses to commute by driving their own cars. Not only that, but too many people have problems to subjugate their addictions, especially overeating and drinking alcohol due to the lack of self-discipline.

[@SoulEraser000]

You say that as if bicycling is a valid choice for many people. If it were so easy, or even safe for that matter, more people would cycle but it isn't. In some cities it's basically necessary to drive in order to have any kind of real life where you work or do something.

[@BlackGirlLovesAnime6]

Egg alot of people work far tho so riding a bike or walking is out of the question. Also it's not always safe to walk to work depending on where you work

[@Elemiriel]

Part of it, too, is that as cities get bigger it becomes less & less practical to walk. Few people have an extra 3 hours to get from home to work and back again every day by walking. Where I live, you're considered super lucky to live within 5 miles of where you work, and not all the roads are safe to walk or ride a bike on as there are no sidewalks or bike lanes.

[@area51escapee85]

Exercise isn't the only thing that affects your weight. Stress can really throw your hormones out of whack. Most food nowadays is crap and less nutritious, full of added sugar, including high-fructose corn syrup. Just cutting out that sugar would probably result in lower obesity rates. Exercise is great, but diet and stress contribute a lot more to obesity than people give credit.

[@sandrahernandez3668]

Egg I walk all day. I carry things all the time. I still have a hard time losig weght. It is the kind of foods that we eat. I don't drink alcohol or smoke.

[@somethingaboutsomeone]

Houu my waist line is exactly the same as the average 50's woman! I feet vintage XD

[@conniesmith5161]

I agree with Gene bean. I saw a documentary where they took one rat granulated sugar and the other rat they fed high fructose corn syrup. The one who ate the high fructose corn syrup was fat. The one who ate granulated sugar was not fat. In the 1970s they started using high fructose corn syrup because it was more cost saving and that's what makes people fat and it is in everything, just check your labels

[@ferociousgumby]

People go out to restaurants where portion sizes are double or triple what is healthy or necessary, then go home and eat the same way because it has become "normal".

[@AWalkingHat]

I don't own a car and I live simply. My job keeps me on my feet all day. I have a 27 size waist.

[@jrudymorganclark2072]

Good for you, i don't own a car either i walk to the gym to the grocery almost everywhere.

[@michaelroachface926]

Avg size waist for men in 50s. 30/32... Today size 38 close to 40

[@larryaala2730]

Lets go on a date.😸

[@moonrazorking2366]

You sound like you're a man.

[@willsrlutz6842]

@rob yohn I'm almost 26 and I still don't have a car. I always walk/bike to the grocery and convenience stores nearby.

[@tbsmith-ht6ej]

This entertaining and informative video turned into a commercial at the end. Yay!

[@emsdiy6857]

I love this video thank you

[@WarrenNash]

You're welcome.

[@HansBjorgman]

Ever since I heard the word "sedentary" and how it's bad to have that kind of lifestyle, I have wanted to move around more often and try to eat healthier. It may sound dumb, but throughout the day, I like to jump (and walk/run) on a miniature trampoline in front of my TV and computer while watching music videos, KZbin videos, TV shows, video games, etc. As a kid, I used to just go outside and play on and around almost anything, climbing trees, vines, hills, riding my bike, jumping rope, playing skip it, playing hide and seek, running around randomly, etc. I used to be so much more active and I enjoyed it. I finally found a modern, somewhat adult way, to exercise while having fun. Hula hoop + trampoline is fun... and a bouncy ball at my desk is enjoyable as well. lol I never wanted to grow up, but my childhood "friends" were assholes and my brothers didn't want to play with me, so I started staying inside more often playing the computer and video games. It got sad real quick. Especially when I got into alcohol... (I stopped drinking a while back, though). I feel better when I exercise. I feel much better mentally. It can really lift the mood.

[@donnamariedavidson5065]

Hans Bjorgman true! Exercise releases endorphins.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

It also keeps you away from the food supply, too.

[@keepitsimple4629]

Hans, it's not dumb. I used to ride my stationary bike about 10 miles a night, while watching tv. I was a lot slimmer.

[@evanescence686]

Hans Bjorgman We should have playgrounds for adults. I miss playing hide and seek and skipping and kicking a ball around with my friends, but now that I'm 20 and all my friends are all grown up no one wants to do that anymore. And sports clubs tell me I'm too old to join, cause I tried to join basketball, volleyball and handball clubs when I was 15-16 but they said you're supposed to start as a little kid 😟

[@annamariaparkinson3562]

C. Mihaela Check with your local sporting goods store for contact information for clubs of the activity of your choice. Some offer coaching.

[@blsi4037]

So I don't need the stupid gym.... Just live life like the 1950s and I'll be good....

[@MC-mh2ju]

No, stop stuffing your mouth with crap.

[@pupdoghero9167]

You need the gym. People did die quite often from heart disease back then.

[@monikabennett]

@C C lack of higher intensity cardio.

[@paulascott5701]

Women with children were housewives and cooked meals, eating out was a special treat. There was not the prevalence of prepared snacks either - there were some but they were a treat - things like chips and dip, donuts, store bought cookies, etc. I'm pretty old and remember getting those things on weekends as a treat. Today, people eat out or get drive thru and snack all through the week because it's so easy when the are already prepared and sitting there.

[@BrettWolfgangFischer]

There was rationing during the war too. Like my grandma used to say. Two blackpuddings between four of us, thank God there's no bloody more of us.

[@genevieveperry4971]

Did they have as many growth hormones in meat back then as they did now? What about hormones put into vegetation too? I think that may have been another reason as to why people have become so much larger.

[@WarrenNash]

Great insight. More food is chemically treated nowadays for sure.

[@HeavymetalHylian]

we eat a lot more corn now as well as products from animals who were fed gorn.

[@lotstolearn5350]

GMO corn & soy. HFCS instead of real sugar. Glyphosate sprayed on crops. Greater use of pharmaceuticals.

[@lotstolearn5350]

Livestock is fed ABs & GHs so meat & processed dairy cause weight gain unless the dairy is raw & the meat is from livestock not fed drugs.

[@paulcohen6727]

Life in California in the 50's was quite different than that which you portray. Nearly every family in my lower-middle class neighborhood had a car, refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, etc. Yet, other than my 4th grade teacher, I can't recall anyone who was overweight- and she was from Scotland. What we didn't have was a lot of per-packaged or snack food with added sugar, fat or salt, and we didn't munch between meals very often. Also, soft drinks cake and ice cream were only for birthday parties. As I grew older, I transitioned to a diet with more and more of these convenience foods, and my weigh slowly increased- in spite of the fact that I was jogging for 45 minutes nearly every day. On my 50th birthday, I switched to a diet of natural foods, cutting out white flour, sugar, added salt, animal products and chemical additives. I concentrated on produce, whole grains and legumes - foods with fiber and often, naturally containing water. The result was my weight dropped to what it was in my first year of college and I now feel much healthier and younger. I didn't count calories, or do any extra exercise. In my humble opinion, it's not calories-in, calories out or getting more exercise (I only do 20-30 minutes of light exercise now that I'm in my elderly years) but it's eating food from the green plant, and not from the manufacturing plant.

[@kathryncooper4001]

I grew up in Southern California, too, a real Ozzie & Harriet life. Very wholesome, very active. Mother was a wonderful cook, and we went out to dinner in a real restaurant perhaps twice a year. There was no McDonalds, no Jack In The Box, no Carl's Jr. We had P.E. every day in school, and most kids participated in some sort of organized after-school sport. In the summertime, when sunset was late, we skated up and down the neighborhood sidewalks, rode our bikes around the neighborhood, or went swimming at the neighborhood pool. During the school year we walked to the bus stop, and then home again in the afternoon. All these are things I wouldn't dare let a child do today.

[@user-oo2gz9ln8v]

why did you do that? you ate animal products back then and you were fine? so did those people you talked about

[@jacquelinestephenson323]

Animals products are not the same as years ago. If you decide to eat this stuff today, maybe you need to be in constant movement and do a weekly detox.

[@jondstewart]

James Arnes Not to get off the subject, but was your lower middle class neighborhood in the 1950’s one of those new tract home neighborhoods with 900-1200 square foot homes, some with pools in the backyard? I know it’s not uncommon for Southern Cal’s small old homes to have them

[@NetiNeti-gm5bz]

Yes this and lack of sleep = stress = Fat. Fruits and veg are alkaline food which helps reduce stress.

[@BeYounique...Maryanne]

I was born in 1963. Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s -- and my sister and I were skinny. Fast food was a "treat" not a way of life. I lived in the suburbs and if we wanted fast food as a teen, we'd have a long walk, even have to hop a fence and cross a highway. Now fast food is everywhere -- in QuickCheks, WaWa, 7/11. I remember having homecooked meals and vegetables from the garden, then on a Friday night it would be a treat like pizza or Chinese take-out. Now fast food is a way of life. School lunch was a sandwich in a brown paper bag and if you didn't like it, you didn't eat. We didn't have a choice. Now schools have these elaborate lunches in the cafeteria. It's just too easy for people -- kids and adults -- to eat garbage. Even in my 20s, you'd go out to eat once in awhile. Most of us ate at home with our families, and went out dancing or to concerts later at night. Now, going to dinner is part of the "night out." Concerts start earlier and everyone is home by 10:30. The nightlife isn't what it used to be and young adults are spending more and more time at restaurants. I see less bowling alleys, no roller skating rinks at all, nothing active is out there like there used to be -- just restaurants. It's really sad for young people.

[@TheBlueRoan316]

It's the sugar and refined carbs that are the issue, not the fat. Folks in the 50s ate a much higher fat content than most of us do today.

[@elkiton]

Absolutely right. I have been on a hi fat low carb ketogenic diet as adjunct treatment alongside cancer meds for 3 years now. Fruit, potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, grains, cereals, pastry, sugar and cakes do not feature; saturated animal fat, meats, cream, cheese etc do in spades. Train at the gym daily. All blood markers in the green zone, weight dropped 30 kg, and is now totally stable with no effort whatsoever. When we moved to carb availability in excess, courtesy of big agriculture and the food industry, and bad nutritional advice all round, that's when the problem started.

[@sammyjoe2390]

So why the big government push to reduce fats back in the day? Why were people told to reduce fat or they would die of heart attack? This is what drove the high carb and HFCS crap back in the 80's. Someone needs to really look into this.

[@angelsarereal6003]

Duh! Because there was no fast food and stress came from a completely different reason, chickens and cows weren't plumped up with hormones....etc. smh....

[@mirabellaolson6410]

I don't eat fast food at all, and I'm overweight. Maybe don't exercise enough, but I have hypothyroid issues from Silver fillings screwing it up.

[@Diniecita]

There was fast food, but not exactly like todays. And it was eaten once a month maybe as a treat. Not everyday.

[@aster48]

One not-so-great reason why people were thinner.... so many people smoked like chimneys back then. My father, MIL, FIL and a large percentage of my relatives were very heavy smokers. Smoking was thought to help with weight gain by many people, and for many, it seemed to work. While most reasons for thinner people back then were healthy, not all of them were. More-healthier reasons: according to my father, who worked in New York City, amusements were cheaper today, even allowing for inflation. He could go to see such greats as Louis Armstrong or catch a Yankees baseball game for a much, much smaller chunk of his paycheck than someone would today for a comparable amusement, even allowing for inflation. More fun things to do meant less time sitting around eating. People also had more get-togethers. I remember many such get-togethers in the 60s, and my husband also remembers far more card parties, dance parties and barbecues involving adults than today. Most people were considerably more social in the 50s and 60s, perhaps because, as the video mentions, there weren't the same distractions we have today, so you had to make your own entertainment. These social events also helped with stress, which can affect weight.

[@jeffmorse645]

Kids for the most part didn't smoke. Only half the adult population smoked. People in general were just thinner. They ate less, they ate healthier and they moved more. Its a simple formula.

[@lgbaybaysalesladayy]

I wish we would socialize more like this. Now everyone is lazy with not only physical movement but also personal appearance.

[@user-oo2gz9ln8v]

people still do.

[@chrisnineteen80s50]

Correct on fewer calories being burnt, but wrong on the diet I’m afraid. You correctly highlighted sugar as a culprit but ignored the equally bad heaves of carbs we now eat, which get digested and broken down into sugars. In the 1960s, fats were also demonised, but are a more satiable and nutrient dense form of energy. Lastly, seed oils pumped into mass produced foods is also contributing.

[@NF-im1wq]

When your constantly bein shown adds of food and people eating it increases your appetite and makes your hungry when you are not hungry